Silver Sunset
by pikachiyo
Summary: What is Rei to do when she finds herself on a strange planet, accused of a crime she didn't commit? In an unwilling partnership with Yaten, she must fight circumstances and her own emotions to find the real criminal and find a way back home.
1. chapter 1

_Author: _Abigail

_Email: _abigail@makenai.org

_Concept: _11-18-01

_Begun:_ 4-13-03  _Ended: _4-14-03 (@_@!)

_Anime: _Sailor Moon

_Genre:_ Drama/Romance/Mystery/Shoujo-ai/Yuri

_Rating: _PG-13 – R

_Pairing:_ Rei/Yaten

_Title: _**Silver Sunset**

"Rin… pyou… tou… sha… kai… jin… retsu… sai… _zen!_"

……………..Nothing. 

Nothing but a vague black foreboding, that is. One that danced in and behind the flames, present, but never showing its face. A dark cloud that hid itself against the blackness of the night sky, skulking inside the lights of Capricorn. It was far away, too far away to be any threat, but she couldn't help be uneasy.

Call it imagination, call it paranoia, but she felt something was there, somewhere in the far reaches of outer space, pulsing with its odd signal. A beckoning, a dark summons, as if passed from one star to another until finally it reached their solar system. Then it was passed on again, so that it would eventually reached every corner of the galaxy, the way a whispered rumor passed through a crowd of people. But what was the message?

Now she knew her imaginations were working overtime. After all, it was only two stars. Two stars among a million, that had seemingly disappeared from the night sky. No… they were still there, they had just been obscured. They weren't even significantly bright stars. In fact, she never would have noticed them had she not been applying herself to study the stars of the zodiac. It was probably explainable by some astrological phenomena, right? A black hole, a supernova…

It wasn't enough to make her worried, just a nagging unrest. But when she perceived no change in the elements, she passed it off as some random fluctuation of Nature or Space. She would be the first to admit that she knew and felt many things that she did not understand. Her horoscope continued to predict world-shaking changes, but although she would be considered a very spiritual person, she wasn't one to give in to much superstition, especially when it concerned her own future. And day after day, nothing changed. So she let it fall to the back of her memory and thought no more of it. Eventually, the premonitions all but disappeared.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was about two months after Rei had first noticed the change in the stars when she was sweeping the outer porch of the Hikawa Shrine. She'd swept it about five times today already, but the blustery winds kept blowing leaves and twigs and grass onto the wood surface. The wind now tugged at her midnight-black locks like a playfully malicious spirit, pulling them from the ribbon she'd tried to secure them with and whipping them across her face. She squinted her eyes and looked up at the dull blue sky blotched with clouds. Despite the current weather, there were no visible signs of a coming storm. After a few more minutes of near-futile sweeping, she gave up on the porch and retreated back inside the shrine.

Except for the wind's assault on the sturdy structure of the shrine, inside it was quiet. Her ojisan had gone away for several days to visit an old friend at a monastery on Shukoku, and it had been nearly six months since Yuichirou left, for reasons he never really made clear. Few people seemed to want to venture out today in the winds, and it was nearing five-o'clock, when visitors to the shrine usually started to die down, so Rei didn't expect to see any more guests tonight. She set the broom against the doorframe and walked to her bedroom. 

A stack of textbooks beside her bed reminded her that she needed to return them to Ami, who'd lent them for her to use for a philosophy essay. She'd probably be pleased to know that Rei had pulled off an A+ for that particular assignment. Rei considered calling her friend before concluding that Ami was probably still tutoring at the school. The girl rarely was home this early; when she wasn't tutoring, she was at computer club, or studying at the library, or doing some other activity. While she ran a brush through her waist-length hair to undo the tangles the wind had made, Rei decided she would telephone Makoto. The tall brunette girl was always willing to chat, and they didn't see each other as often since they'd both started college.

An hour later when she had hung up on Makoto, eaten a small supper, and gone about the routine of closing the shrine for nighttime, Rei knelt on the tatami in front of the sacred fire. She had been asked by a customer to do a fortune reading for his business. They were considering investing a good deal of money and wanted to know if certain stocks would be prosperous. Usually ojisan handled these kinds of readings, but while he was not here, it was Rei who was required to do it.

She smoothed her robes and cleared her mind of all thoughts to begin meditation. She let her spirit drift out on the chants to connect with the fire's own spirit. When the reading was nearly finished, Rei was prepared to write up the customer a positive forecast when suddenly an electric shock struck through her veins, causing her to break abruptly out of her trance with a forceful gasp. The fire crackled in front of her as she breathed in the still room, visibly shaken. _What was that vision? A bed…covered in blood. The future?_ She had never received such a violent reaction from a routine financial reading. Or was this scene not related to the customer's business at all, and was some entirely different warning?

That split-second vision bothered her deeply, mostly because she didn't know what it meant, and she was wary to know what other images the fire might show her if she did look again. Rei felt she didn't have the energy to try another reading tonight, she needed to get her rest. She'd have to ponder it in the morning, and then decide what in hell she was going to tell her customer. She had a feeling, though, that the vision had nothing to do with stocks.

The young miko pushed herself to her feet and took one step. Suddenly her stomach was upset and she felt a dizzying sensation. She took another step… and never hit the floor. She reached out… and felt her vertigo turned upside-down…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rei heard her own startled shout echo in her ears. The shrine and the fire faded away as she fell into a swirling blackness. A cold chill washed over her body like a shroud. Whenever she tried to reach out, she only touched nothingness. _Where was she?_

She felt herself roll in the current of the darkness; she tried to swim, to fight it in her confusion but accomplished nothing. Pinpricks of light illuminated her strange dark world. Then Rei heard a voice, like a slap across the face, call out – call out to _her_. She twisted desperately to find its source. A distant figure was retreating faster and faster – or was she being pulled away from it? She recognized the figure and the voice and Rei's heart seized with panic. She frantically tried to move toward it, but it was quickly disappearing. "PLUTO!" she screamed in a last desperate attempt to reach the woman before the current grabbed her violently and dragged her away.

She couldn't tell which direction was up anymore. Rei felt like she had been thrown into a giant washing machine, being tossed and churned and flipped constantly. It was hard to keep a conscious thought in this state, but if Pluto had been there… was she caught in some rift in Time?

The darkness gave way to bright lights and flashes of images, a confusing array of picture and sound and sensation speeding past her. Orange, green, blue, red… _No…I can't be lost in time… _Light, clouds, sky, moon… _Go back! How do I go back? …_Marble, wind, music, dizziness… _Concentrate…_a book, a glass, shattered, gunshot… _Focus…_salt, sweet, ocean tide, rushing… _Focus on home… _comfort, warmth, stalking tiger, broken roar… _Home…the people you love_… white lily, broken petal, joy, raging storm… _People you want to be with…_a castle, a spire, touch of gold, drop of blood… _Dreams you want to see…_striking metal, bent reflection, flowing words, raising voices… 

_…the things you long for…_

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stillness.

Darkness.

Rei could hear her own breath. So she was alive. Her hand reached forward, and touched something soft, cool. Dirt. Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness and shapes came into view around her. She appeared to be in a lightly wooded area. The night air was warm and humid. _Kami, please tell me I'm still in 20th century Japan._

She stood to her feet, finding her balance a little unsteady at first, then took a few tentative steps. The air here was sweet, but unfamiliar. It smelled of rich earth and summer blooms in full blossom. Her exploring hands touched tender leaves and greenery, then found something hard. It had a fine rocky texture, but was smooth, as if hand-carved – a statue? Gradually Rei began to realize she was not in a wood but in a carefully maintained garden. As she ventured further, she found dim lanterns lit the garden here and there with their dark glow, so she was able to find her way onto a stone path and follow it in hopes of finding some clue as to where she was.

A rustle of foliage coming toward her startled Rei, and she moved off the path to take shelter behind the trunk of a small tree. She never saw who or what it was, as the noise passed her by several yards away and disappeared into the night. Feeling uneasy, Rei returned to the garden path. With a whisper and a soft red glow she transformed silently into Sailor Mars.

As she soon discovered, the gardens were large with many maze-like paths. At one point she found herself facing a high brick wall, so she was forced to retrace her steps and find a different route. After several more minutes of wandering, Rei was beginning to feel like she had stumbled into Daedalus' Labyrinth. The one disturbing thing about that was not knowing when or where a Minotaur might appear.

She was beginning to feel frustrated and lost, when the noise of shouts in the near distance came to her ears. Rei stood motionless when a few moments later a group of at least five men ran past on the path intersecting hers. None of them noticed the woman standing just a few yards from them until the second-to-last man passed. Immediately he called out to his companions who came running back. "Who's there?!" one called out.

Where Rei stood she was half-hidden in shadow, but she could make out nearly all the men's faces in the light of a nearby lantern. "I'm lost," she replied. "I – I can't seem to find my way out of the gardens."

The men spoke several words quietly among themselves. Their garb was almost medieval in fashion, and at the same time strangely exotic. It was easy to conclude they must be soldiers or guards, for each one carried either a spear or a sword at his side. One of the men now reached for his sword and drew it. "What business do you have in the gardens in the first place?" His tone was commanding. 

"Take it easy, it's just a girl," one of the others spoke up, and Rei was thankful for the moment that she didn't have to come up with an answer.

"Maybe, but remember we don't know who we're looking for," the first man replied. Nevertheless he sheathed his sword and stepped toward Rei. "What business do you have in the gardens at midnight?" he asked again, circling her coolly like a cat circles its prey.

"I…" Rei opened her mouth but couldn't think of a decent excuse, and she had a feeling the truth wouldn't go over well with this bunch. She wasn't really sure how to explain the truth herself.

One of the soldiers brought a hand-held lantern up to illuminate her face. "Pretty thing, whoever she is," he commented, and Rei resisted the urge to flame his ass to ash.

"You keep searching! We'll handle this," the apparent leader, the one who had questioned her, ordered two of the soldiers, who quickly ran off to obey. He turned back to Rei, crossing his arms. "You don't know why you're in the gardens?"

The man with the lantern held the light up and down her body, getting himself a full view. "Shit, Rokko, I think she's a Sailor."

"You're crazy, she looks nothing like a Sailor, even those foreign ones."

"I'm serious, look at the collar."

The leader now drew his attention to Mar's red collar and bow, frowning. After a few moments he directed his words at the remaining third soldier. "Find the captain."

"What's the matter with you? Can't you say anything else?" Rei licked her lips and ignored the leader's words. She was currently calculating her odds of being able to _Fire Soul_ both men at once.

When she didn't answer, the man grabbed her chin and jerked her face upwards toward his. Suddenly furious at being handled, Rei took the opportunity to grab the soldier's arm and flip him on his back with a smooth aikido move. She took out the second man before he could attack with a high-heeled kick to the head, and then fled.

Voices and footsteps told her she was being pursued, and now Rei cursed the labyrinthine paths of the garden. She had no idea where she was running. She took turn after turn, and soon discovered the entire garden was full of soldiers, who seemed to appear at every intersection and take pursuit. Breath panting and heart pumping, she rounded one such corner and bumped straight into a group of two men. She pushed past the startled men and kept running before they had a chance to figure out what was going on. She could hear louder shouts – her other pursuers were catching up – and then a sharp pain to her left arm. Distracted for a second, her foot hit a crack and Rei came tumbling to the ground.

In no time she had a deadly sword pointed directly at her chest. Wincing in pain, Rei looked down to find a stream of blood and a bolt* embedded in her upper arm. She was surrounded by at least seven soldiers, all watching her with ready eyes, lest she make a move. With bitter irony, Rei noticed she had fallen just yards from the garden's entrance. Beyond it were the lights and windows of a large mansion or palace.

(*crossbow bolt, like a small arrow)

She sat defeated while the soldiers spoke among themselves, probably waiting for the captain to show up. Rei barely noticed when a new voice came on the scene, questioning the men about what was going on. One of them was quick to explain, and Rei didn't bother to listen.

"Let her go." The words brought Rei to full attention. The low-pitched voice was that of a woman's, but she was situated behind Rei's back so that she didn't see her owner. 

The soldier protested. "But, my lady, I believe that – "

"Let her go," the voice repeated, irritated. "I'll take care of her." Rei couldn't place it, but the voice struck a sudden note of familiarity.

After exchanging several hesitant glances, the soldier who held the sword to her stepped back. "Follow me," the brisk voice spoke. Rei stood to find her rescuer had already turned her back and was retreating toward the palace. She stepped quickly to catch up. The woman was about Rei's height and not of large build. She wore a pair of loose trousers and a Chinese shirt. Her hair appeared to be light blonde or silver – and when they stepped into the building she saw it was indeed silver – long, and fastened over her shoulder. 

The building was definitely a rich man's palace, obvious from just one glance inside. But Rei didn't notice the finery; she was too busy concentrating on the person in front of her, as a far-fetched possibility remained stuck in her mind. This woman, could she be…?

They entered the first room they came to, and then her rescuer turned to face her. Rei's eyes widened in surprise. Silver locks, flashing emerald eyes…

"Yaten?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Well, do tell me what you think! I've always wanted to write a Rei/Yaten (there aren't enough of them!) and I've had this one on my mind for a long time. I've never written Rei as a primary character, so this is a first for me. Actually, I've never really written Yaten as a primary character either. I know this beginning is a bit odd, but I needed to set up the story _somehow_. So I hope you'll keep reading because I have many more surprises planned. ^___^ For all you guys at SU.net that voted for this one, this is for you! Hope you like. And for those of you who may be wondering about my other fic, don't worry, I'll keep writing "Raven Wind" and write this one at the same time.

Ja, Peace Out! Feedback, okay??


	2. chapter 2

_Author: _Abigail

_Email: _abigail@makenai.org

_Begun:_ 4-16-03  _Ended: _6-7-03   ^^;;

_Anime: _Sailor Moon

_Genre:_ Drama/Romance/Mystery/Shoujo-ai/Yuri

_Rating: _PG-13 – R

_Pairing:_ Rei/Yaten

_Title: _**Silver Sunset**

**~chapter 2~**

There was no doubt now who her rescuer had been. Despite the now-softer curves of her face and the looser feminine hairstyle, she was the same boy Rei had come to know as an idol more than two years ago in Tokyo.

"Yaten? How… Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same thing of you," the silver-haired girl replied. "Is it customary for your senshi not to announce yourselves and lurk around our palace walls when you visit?" The sarcastic remark was meant to be lighthearted but came out harsher than she'd intended it to. In fact, Yaten had been more than startled to find her once-ally being held in custody of the palace guards, after she'd awakened and come into the gardens to find out what all the commotion was about.

"Visit?" Rei paled slightly. "Yaten, where… tell me, am I still on Earth?"

The other girl looked at her like she'd truly lost her mind. How could she possibly have traveled this far and still think she was on Earth? She'd heard of space travel on rare occasions turning people insane, but she'd never seen it really happen.

Rei quickly explained the strange circumstances that had brought her here as best she could, and how she'd suddenly found herself alone in the dark garden. 

"Wormhole?" Yaten pondered. "I've never heard of such a thing happening. And to think that you'd end up here…"

Rei took the chance to glance quickly around the lavishly decorated room. "Then 'here' is… Kinmokusei?"

"No. This is my guardian planet, Chiyusei. It's one of Kinmokusei's three moons."

"I see." Rei winced suddenly. She'd forgotten about her wounded arm, and found fresh pain shot through it when she attempted to move it.

Yaten saw the senshi's expression change and her face go pale. She stepped forward and grabbed the girl's arm to find the small arrow still embedded in the back of it. Blood dripped off her elbow onto the pristine white carpet. "Damn it, why didn't you say you were injured?!"

"I guess… I forgot…" Rei felt a wave of dizziness strike her. After a long day, the wormhole, and the chase in the gardens she suddenly realized her body ached with tiredness, overwhelmed at all that had transpired. Added to that was the throbbing pain from her upper arm that she'd managed to ignore but was now acutely real. The room was going out of focus…

She threw an arm of support around the other girl's waist when she started to sway on her feet. "I need some help in here!" Yaten shouted to anyone who might be passing by. Strong as she was despite her small stature, Yaten wasn't sure she'd be able to carry Rei on her own should she pass out, and it certainly looked like the dark-haired girl was going to do just that.

"I'm okay," Rei spoke as the dizziness passed. "I'm not going to faint."

Yaten frowned, unsure. "Come on. I still don't know what's going on, but you need to have that wound bandaged." She led her by her good arm from the room and down the long, drapery-hung hall. She instructed a passing maid to fetch ointment and bandages, quickly. The girl bowed and scurried off to obey.

After a while Yaten stopped and pushed open an engraved cherrywood door to reveal a large parlor, no less luxurious then any of the rest of the palace Rei had seen. Another door led to an adjoining bedroom. She sat on the red embroidered sofa and bit her lip while Yaten pulled the arrow from her skin, quickly staunched the fresh blood that poured out, and treated the wound with the ointment the maid had brought with practiced efficiency. As she took her arm and wrapped it clean bandages, Yaten commented dryly, "You know, it would've been easier if you hadn't aroused the whole damn guard regiment when you dropped in."

"I'm sorry."

Yaten gave a small laugh. "Don't worry about it. But I can't believe your appearance could have caused such a stir. It's past midnight and it sounds like the whole palace is awake. I was going to bed when I came down to see what was going on and found _you_. There, how does that feel?" she finished securing the bandage on Rei's arm.

"Thank you," Rei replied. She was starting to feel the exhaustion hit her once again, and leaned back against the sofa, inviting the softness of the pillows.

A timid knock sounded from the door. A second maid with long rose-colored hair entered and bowed. "Forgive me, Healer-sama. I couldn't find you after you left your chambers, and I became worried, with all the commotion in the palace. I was told you had gone to this room."

"That's fine, Sari. You can go tell the captain there's nothing more to be concerned about. Mars is a friend of mine."

The maid looked with confused child-like eyes from Yaten to Rei and back to Yaten. "Forgive me, but… I thought you'd heard."

It was Yaten's turn to look confused. "Heard what?"

Sari clasped her hands and delivered the news with a solemn, frightened look. "What I've heard, ma'am, among the other staff is… that the Count Raison was found murdered in his bed."

"Murdered?" she echoed incredulously. The maid only nodded. Yaten looked toward Rei only to find she had fallen asleep on the pillows as soon as Sari had entered the room. Eyes shut, breath now soft and regular, she had heard none of the conversation between maid and mistress.

Yaten rose to her feet. "Sari, make up the bed for Rei-san and attend to her if she wakes up."

"Yes, ma'am." She bowed once again as Yaten marched from the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This wing of the palace was a hive of confusion. Officers and detectives came and went, while wide-eyed and morbidly curious house staff milled about beside soldiers who weren't quite sure what their duties were supposed to be. The guard standing outside the door recognized her at once. "Healer-sama. The lieutenant has asked that no one be allowed…" Yaten didn't let him finish as she brushed past him into the room.

She saw the sight and it sickened her. The sheer bed curtains were half-closed but what was visible was enough. The count was still there, in his bedclothes; the sheets soaked with blood. Two stabs to the chest. She felt her throat tighten as she tried to fight the flashbacks that inevitably came. _A bathtub drowned in blood…_

"You're contaminating the crime scene."

She turned toward the lieutenant, a middle-aged man in a uniform that denoted his rank, now the lead investigator on this death that had roused half the palace into confusion in the middle of the night. Ignoring his comment, she asked flat-out, "Who did it?"

"Beats me," was the officer's reply. "His servant heard a noise, and came into the room to find his master dead. We figure whoever it was must have escaped through the gardens, and had the guards dispatched to make a full search of the perimeter. I'm waiting to hear back from the captain yet to see if his men turned up anything. Either way, it doesn't change this man's fate. Now scram, we have work to do here. And this isn't a sight young people like you need to see." He turned away, pulling on a pair of white gloves, and moved toward one of the other investigators working to peruse every inch of the room.

Yaten didn't bother to tell him she'd seen plenty of more horrifying sights in her short lifetime. That didn't mean this scene was any less disturbing. But she had seen enough. With a final disgusted glance toward the corpse she left the room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Raison had been the governor of the southern province of Inekoku. A veteran of the military and long-time politician, he was also a member of the Interim Council which was set up as a temporary government while the planet rebuilt itself after the Sailor Wars. While not the most influential of men in Chiyusei politics, his position as head of the unstable southern state and often-controversial views put him in a prominent position. His sudden death was sure to cause a stir through the whole kingdom.

Yaten didn't know the man. She had only spoken with him once or twice to exchange pleasantries. For that reason she didn't need to feel any sorrow at his passing. She was, however, quite deeply unsettled when she finally crawled into bed at 3 AM that morning, after having awakened once to the sensation of a star being suddenly extinguished. Now that she knew whose star it had been, only a few questions had been answered, and many more had been raised. Was it really murder? Or suicide? And what was the motive? Raison had friends and he had enemies as well. But being away on Kinmokusei most of the year, Yaten wasn't deeply in touch with the politics of her birth planet. But who was to say the death was political at all? There was no way to tell at this point. All she knew was, the air tonight did not feel right.

Completely forgetting about Rei, Yaten slid into an uneasy sleep of bloodstained dreams.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She awoke late, but that was nothing unusual. In the two days since she'd been back on Chiyusei, she'd fallen into the habit of sleeping in. The morning sun was peering persistently through the crack of the closed curtains when she threw off the covers and let her bare feet touch the carpeted floor. That's when last night's incidents came back to her – the count's brutal death, and Rei's mysterious disappearance. Picking up a silk robe off the bedpost, she made her way to the bathroom as per her morning routine.

Several minutes later she emerged to find the curtains pulled back to welcome the sunlight and Sari already bustling about the room. At the end of the bed she noticed a silver breakfast tray fresh with fruit, toast, and jam. It seemed it hadn't taken long for the maid to catch on to the way she liked things done.

"Good morning, ma'am."

"Good morning." Yaten took a strawberry from the tray and popped it into her mouth. "Sari, did Rei retire to the bed last night? I'm sorry, I forgot to return to check on her." She planned on dressing and going straight to Rei's suite to see how the Earth senshi was doing. Yaten recalled her story from the previous night and was still mildly troubled as to what strange forces might have brought her here.

"I made sure she comfortably in bed before I retired, ma'am. But…"

"But…?"

"But she is no longer there. Apparently the captain of the guards came to speak with her, and she left with him. When I came to the room to see if she was awake and needed anything, there was no one there. Another of the girls said there were at least three soldiers that showed up at the door. Almost like she was being taken under arrest, she said. I didn't know what to think of it. I – I know the girl is an acquaintance of yours. Forgive me, Healer-sama, I wasn't sure whether to wake you."

"When did this happen?" This couldn't be good news. But if they only needed to question her as a possible witness…

"It must have been quite early this morning."

Yaten was already digging clothes out of her closet to throw on. "Damn, she's probably at the mercy of Tange right now." Tange, the lieutenant whom Yaten had spoken to the previous night in the count's bedroom-turned-crime scene, was a fine officer, but a relentless investigator. Once he latched on to one angle of evidence he would beat it to the ground. And if he had decided to focus on the angle of Rei's presence in the gardens last night, Yaten feared she wouldn't have much to defend herself on alone. Things were already getting complicated.  

She finished dressing and grabbed a ribbon and a second strawberry (which she popped into her mouth), then strode out the door tying her silver hair behind her neck. She descended to the ground story of the palace heading straight for the city guards' offices with determined steps. The lieutenant's normally bitchy secretary was absent from her desk (thank goodness), so Yaten simply let herself into the office.

Lieutenant Tange looked up from a mess of papers on his desk as she entered. "Ah, Healer. I'm sorry to say I'm busy right now, so I won't be able to help you with anything. The murder, you know. Terrible incident we had last night."

"Yes, a terrible shame," Yaten spoke deadly, giving the impression she didn't find it all that horrible or else she didn't care. 

"Right, right. As I said, I'm busy…" He focused again on shuffling his papers.

"Where is Rei?" 

"Eh?" Tange looked up again with half-interest. "You mean the Sailor Senshi that was found in the gardens? Yes, she was taken in for questioning this morning. It's odd if you ask me… she doesn't even have an alibi. Suspicious."

"Look, she had nothing to do with this," Yaten spoke. "Everything can be cleared up."

"That's right, you were a friend of hers, were you not? She mentioned that. Where were you when the murder took place?"

"Sleeping. And, yes, I was acquainted with Rei. Which is why I need to speak with someone to clear this misunderstanding. And if you're looking at her as a suspect, you're completely wrong."

"Yes…" the lieutenant said distractedly while he seemed to search through his paper mounds for certain sheet, finding it after a few seconds. "Now had Rei ever visited the Kinmoku system before?"

"I didn't come here to be interrogated, Tange. I don't doubt you've already asked her that question yourself so you know the answer. All I asked was to be told where Rei is; all you need to do is tell me and you can get back to your work you were so busy with."

The man's eyes wrinkled in a smile. "Forgive me, Healer. My detective instincts must have kicked in. As for Rei's location, you'll have to speak with Kuro about that. She is out of my hands."

Healer let her outer defense wall down when she realized Tange wouldn't help her. They weren't friends, but she at least considered Tange a trustworthy person, and he was probably telling the truth. She was still holding out hope that they only wanted to ask her a few questions, but if she'd already been passed on to Kuro… The thought hung in Yaten's mind with distaste. 

This situation was becoming more of a pain in the ass by the minute.

"Fine. Where can I find Kuro right now?"

"Most likely in the Security annex." The lieutenant stopped and chuckled softly. "It's a shame I won't get to watch when you give the general a piece of your mind. But good luck, anyway."

"Ah," Yaten acknowledged. She certainly did plan on giving General Kuro an earful. She'd never liked the man in the first place, and the feeling tended to be mutual. She turned to leave the office, but stopped midway. "… _You_ don't believe she's guilty, do you?"

The man leaned back in his chair, taking time to answer the question. "She was there, no questioning that, and without a reason. A lot of things don't add up. Though to tell you the truth, my gut feeling says it was someone or something else. The girl has no motive. But, Healer," he stopped her just before she reached the door. "I'm not as biased as others."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying… I wouldn't be surprised if she were charged with murder."


	3. chapter 3

Author: Abigail

Email: 

Begun: 9-24-03 Ended:08-29-04

Anime:Sailor Moon

Genre: Drama/Romance/Mystery/Shoujo-ai/Yuri

Rating:PG-13 – R

Pairing: Rei/Yaten

Title:**Silver Sunset**

**-chapter 3-**

Yaten found herself wishing she had snagged a few more items off Sari's breakfast tray before leaving her bedroom. She hated being hungry. It was too late for that, however, as she marched through the tedious halls of the Security annex. Everywhere in the palace Yaten caught pieces of gossip as she passed. Everybody was talking about last night's incident – heads wagged at the shame of it, and rumors flew and changed faster than wildfire. Speculation was rampant. Yaten had no doubts that by the end of the day everybody from the High Councilor to the kitchen maid would have been implicated in the murder at some point by some idle gossiping staffperson.

After directing several inquiries toward guards and staff members, Yaten learned exactly where she would find the general, and wasted no time getting there. He was seated at some lower-ranking officer's desk, papers, files, and laptop spread over its surface in something that almost, but not quite, resembled order. The actual owner of the desk stood nearby in conversation with the older general. A mug of jasei tea, a potent liquid not unlike Earthian coffee, was cradled between the man's hands. Yaten suspected it was not his first since last night's murder, nor would it be his last before this day was over.

"Healer-sama." The subordinate officer was first to notice her presence. General Kuro made no sound, but concentrated on a note he was writing as if he had heard nothing. Yaten bestowed the other man with a simple nod, but she wasn't interested in him, and just as quickly turned her focus back to the general.

He was physically a powerful man, even at his age being in perfect shape. Steel gray hair topped his head in a decidedly military cut. His features were rugged, if they couldn't be counted handsome, age having crept wrinkles around his eyes, mouth, and forehead. A jagged scar across the cheek added a certain fierceness to the man's countenance. In the early days of the Sailor Wars he had been one of the Kinmoku system's finest soldiers, and no one doubted Kuro's military prowess. But now with the onset of peace and the rebuilding of the planet underway, the general served under the title of Security Minister. An empty bureaucrat position for an old war hero, some would say, the city's politics having assured that Kuro did not gain a seat on the powerful Council, whether he wished for it or not. But bureaucrat or no, High General Kurokainushi still held power – it was in his nature, after all – and what he may have lacked by law he made up for in influence and charisma.

"How goes the murder investigation, General?" she asked pointedly, approaching the desk. Kuro still did not look up, although a slight incline of his head indicated that he had indeed heard her, and was aware that she would not be ignored.

"I appreciate the offer, Healer, but there's no need for Sailor Senshi on the investigation team," he spoke brusquely. He replaced his pen and notepad on the desk, finally looking up at her as he leaned back in the chair.

The distaste with which the words "Sailor Senshi" rolled off his tongue reminded Yaten yet again of why she disliked this man. "That wasn't the reason I came," she stated.

"Ah, you're not volunteering? I'm disappointed." Fake disheartenment spread over Kuro's face.

"I'm sure our two superior intelligences would clash," Yaten responded dryly before quickly returning to her point. "I came here concerning Sailor Mars."

"Our foreign mystery girl? I understand you two are acquainted."

"Yes. She's one of the senshi who helped defeat Chaos on Earth."

"Right. That's something she had mentioned."

So had Kuro already interrogated Rei as well? Yaten felt herself tense at the thought of it. She was already regretting sleeping in late today. At least Rei had had the sense to let them know she was an ally. "Where is she?"

"I can't tell you that." Yaten couldn't help but imagine the smirk that might be on the general's face if not for his stoic composure, and the feeling that he enjoyed withholding the information from her.

"You have no right to be holding her," the Kinmoku senshi felt her irritation spark, and made it clear through her posture, taking another step toward the desk. "Mars is a guest of our planet and I won't allow her to be treated this way. There's absolutely no ground to charge her for anything concerning this murder. You've questioned her, and that's enough. I wanted her to be released immediately."

"You forget who's in charge of this investigation," Kuro responded. "You have no authority to demand the girl's release. And, contrary to your belief, the Chiyusei government has valid reason to suspect Sailor Mars in this crime."

"Based on what evidence?"

"That evidence would be confidential until the investigation is over."

Yaten dug her fingernails into her palms and crossed her arms, otherwise her hands might have been tempted to reach out and strangle the man in front of her. She reminded herself to keep her temper in check for Rei's sake. At least for now. "Doesn't Tange usually handle criminal investigations?"

"Certainly. But with such a high-profile case, I've decided to handle this one personally."

"Must be hell on your busy schedule," Yaten replied with all the sarcasm she could muster.

"I manage," the older man returned without batting an eye. "Kaynin, would you give us a moment alone?" Kuro spoke at the subordinate officer, all but forgotten in the corner where he sipped his mug of tea. The man nodded and left them, though reluctantly – he'd been quietly enjoying watching the sharp-tongued exchange between the two.

When he had gone, the general leaned forward directly. "Listen… Raison was an important man in the government. His death is already causing waves in the southern province. I am under pressure from all sides of the government in the capital and in Inekoku to resolve this incident and I don't need little girls interfering with the investigation. If this murder becomes a national incident, the fallout would be more than just one man's life. There are already conspiracy theories popping up everywhere and riots threatening to break out in the south, so it is imperative that justice be served quickly and thoroughly. Do you understand?"

"I understand," she replied evenly, tasting the disdain in her mouth like a rotten fruit. "This is political. You don't want a murderer. You want a scapegoat. And Rei is your perfect target."

"I'd watch who you accuse." The man's dark eyes flickered warningly. "Especially when you have no idea what you're talking about. Let the grown-ups handle this, Unsuku-chan."

She simmered at his patronizing use of her birth name, and the fact that she was being disregarded. "And let you charge an innocent girl with murder?" She all but spat the words.

"Are you so sure she's innocent?" the grey-haired military man challenged her with his eyes. "You yourself have said you were not present at the time of the murder. You have not seen this old ally for nearly a year, and suddenly she appears out of nowhere with no reasonable explanation. Can you look me in the eye and vow you know with no shadow of doubt she is innocent?"

She met his gaze unwaveringly, and hated every second of her own silence. His point, unfortunately, was a good one. She had no way of knowing whether Rei was telling the truth or not. However, nothing made sense at this point, and she was much more willing to put her trust in Rei than in Kuro. Her intuition – and her common sense – told her something was not right. She returned the general's challenge with her own silent one. She would not give up yet, and she would not let him win.

"A report will be sent to the Council no later than today," the general stated as his uninvited visitor turned to stalk from the room. The information gave her pause, enough to stop and turn again wide-eyed. The investigation was proceeding that fast? At this rate, Rei could be tried and executed by tomorrow! Urged on by a new resolve and a determination that flashed in her eyes, Yaten exited, leaving Kuro with the last image of her trailing silver tail disappearing through the doorway.

As guardian soldier of the planet, Healer was forbidden by law against holding any official political power or position in the government. Supposedly this was to keep her a fair and just defender of the people, unbiased and unentangled by the webs of kingdom politics. Chiyusei had learned its lesson from the Sailor Wars and was determined not to repeat them. However, as a result of her special position, no one in the government, not even Yaten herself, knew just how much authority she actually held. She'd found this could work to both her advantage and disadvantage. Today, however, confusion worked in her favor as she convinced the guard to let her into Rei's cell against Kuro's direct orders. Of course, the fact that half the palace staff and guards were intimidated by her was always an advantage.

She nearly turned around thinking she had come into the wrong cell, expecting to find Rei in the short red and white sailor fuku she had worn the night before. Yaten was momentarily taken aback to find a Japanese shrine maiden in full red _hakama_ trousers and white coat occupying a meditative position in the center of the floor. Facing the side wall, she appeared to be in deep concentration, not noticing her visitor's entrance. Yaten had seen such miko before on Earth, of course, but she couldn't recall ever seeing Rei in particular in the traditional attire. She seemed almost like a delicately carved Japanese doll, her face pale in the washed-out glare of the cell's single light, a precious object lost and out of place in this completely foreign world.

Had Hino Rei been a shrine maiden? Hadn't she attended a Catholic school, though? Yaten recalled the raven-haired girl's revelation that their, Three Lights', director was in fact 'Sister Angela'. Since she did attend a school separate from the other soldiers, and thus, separate from the Three Lights, they had had less contact with her, as opposed to the other girls, other than in times of battle. In fact, standing in that cell, Yaten realized she knew very little about the person in front of her. Mars had been a loyal soldier, fiercely protective of her princess… but who was Rei?

The clang of the lock as the guard shut them in startled the miko to face her visitor. Yaten watched a wave of apprehension, then recognition and guarded relief flash over her face. Gathering her skirts, she stood. "What is going on?"

She felt a pang of offense at the accusation of Rei's words. "There was a murder last night."

"I've gathered that much. Why am I being held and questioned? I knew nothing about this until this morning."

"There's been a… misunderstanding. The investigators seem to think you were somehow involved when you appeared in the garden last night. I've been trying to straighten things out." Yaten inwardly mocked her own pathetic explanation. The truth was, she still didn't have a plan, and Tange's words of warning continued to follow her. _Charged with murder_.

"I don't understand," Rei's words harbored frustration and anger as she glanced at the solid steel walls around her. "I come to your planet as a old ally, I thought I should expect a welcome, and not a prison sentence."

"Hey, it's not like you were even invited." At Rei's shocked and angry glare Yaten continued with apology. "I said I'd do everything I can to get this cleared up, and I will. We're allies – I won't leave you in here." She held out a small box wrapped in orange cloth as if it were a peace offering. Rei simply stared at the object warily. "Have you eaten lunch?" Yaten offered.

"I – I haven't." The dark-haired miko now willingly took the box and sat on the bed, the sole piece of furniture in the small square room. Yaten noticed the restrained eagerness with which she now tugged at the box's wrappings. Obviously no one on Kuro's investigative team had thought enough to offer the girl any kind of meal, and it was already afternoon. She was thankful now she had stopped to ask Sari to prepare the lunch. A chilly silence filled the chamber as Rei opened the box lunch and partook of its contents, giving Yaten opportunity to reflect longer on the girl who sat before her, whom Fate had, so it seemed, dropped in her lap, whether either of them liked it or not.

The proud spirit she had seen in the warrior Mars on Earth was there, but here in this seven-foot square cell she was like a caged animal, wary and untrusting, a defiant spirit angry with betrayal, yet not understanding. And beneath that lay a fear that she didn't dare show, yet which Yaten could feel. Her emotions were a deep, dark swirl of red and maroon, colored with anxiety and frustration.

Rei glanced up, realizing she had let herself fall under scrutiny. She set aside the lunch for the moment and faced the person who, at this point was her best chance at getting out of here any time soon. "When am I going to be released?" Her question demanded an answer.

"I don't know." Yaten found herself crossing her arms uncomfortably. It would probably take an uphill battle with Chiyusei's hopeless bureaucracy, but one she still felt she might win, even though she felt there was much more lying under the surface of this situation. However, if Kuro didn't free the girl before this day was over, there _was_ going to be hell to pay. "I need to talk to more of the officials today… before your case goes before the Council tomorrow. Kuro seems determined to convict you of this murder and I don't know why. You were there at the scene but that's hardly evidence. Of course it doesn't help that you're a stranger."

"I'm a Sailor Senshi and an ally." Rei's frustration was beginning to crack through her mask of defiance. "I don't see how I could be suspicious – that should at least count for something!"

"That's exactly the problem." The silver-haired woman paused for an inward sigh, only to meet violet eyes demanding an explanation. She licked her lips and continued. "You know of the Sailor Wars, don't you?" Red nodded her affirmative. "Not many years ago this planet was devastated and nearly destroyed by Sailor Senshi – _foreign_ Sailor Senshi who appeared suddenly and began killing citizens."

"They think I'm a Galactica soldier?! Chaos is destroyed!"

"I didn't say that! I'm just saying that some people here aren't as willing to trust Sailor Senshi as they used to be. Sometimes not even the soldiers of their own planet."

Rei contemplated the words silently, considering how fortunate she might be to have the freedom of anonymity as a Senshi on Earth. "So will I be condemned to prison for the crime of being a Sailor Soldier, or do I at least get a trial?"

Yaten refrained from biting back with similar sarcasm. After all, the girl did have good reason to be angry and defensive. "There'll be a hearing before the Council. You'll get to speak in your own defense, and the evidence against you will be presented, and the Council will decide the course of action to be taken."

"I thought you said there was no evidence against me."

"There isn't, at least that I can see. Kuro and his investigators haven't exactly been forthcoming, though, so I have no idea what they've got up their sleeves."

"If you don't have the power to do anything, why can't Princess Kakyuu free me? Surely she has to believe the Earth Senshi would never want to cause any harm in her kingdom."

"I'm sure she would be more than willing to do so, but the Princess has no jurisdiction here. The Kinmoku system is a federation, but each of the moons are allowed to rule themselves autonomously apart from the main kingdom. She would not be allowed to interfere in Chiyusei's justice system." Rei was grasping for solutions, determined to exhaust every possibility to avoid resigning herself to fate. But as each one was shot down, she was beginning to realize the complexity of the situation ran deeper than she'd first imagined. She let her head fall against the heels of her hands, no longer caring if she showed a moment of weakness, frustrated with this conversation that only seemed to discourage her chances of ever going free.

A knock came at the door. The guard showed his face through the small window, no doubt anxious that Yaten seemed to be taking her time, and not wanting to take any chances that his superiors might discover he'd disobeyed orders to let her inside. As there wasn't much more left to say, so Yaten didn't feel the need to argue with him.

"Don't worry," she left a final reassurance with Rei. "I'll find some way to get you out of this."

Finding out exactly how she was going do that was the next problem. So much for a vacation.


End file.
